Three members of the same family who died after getting into difficulty in the sea off Shoreham have been named by police.
Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter Sara El-Khawas are thought to have gone into the water near Shoreham Fort on Tuesday, Sussex Police said.
A younger girl from the same family, who was pulled from the water with them, remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Police said the family had travelled from their London home to visit Shoreham and after reviewing CCTV footage investigators say they believe the deaths were a tragic accident with no third-party involvement.
The Palestinian Forum said the family were British citizens of Palestinian origin, with roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon. Earlier, the Palestinian embassy in London told the that Hassan El-Khawas had been a refugee.
Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, said the community was “deeply shocked and saddened” by what had happened.
He said two other children were on the shore at the time of the incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family, particularly the children, who are facing an unimaginable loss,” he said.
The Palestinian Embassy in London said it was closely monitoring the incident and contacting British authorities to establish the circumstances and check on the condition of the girl in hospital.
A statement issued by the embassy sent condolences to the family and the UK’s Palestinian community and wished the girl a speedy recovery.